From Jan. 1, 2010 through Jan. 2 of this year, police shot eight men. Of those, two were diagnosed with mental illness, and had substance abuse problems. Three were under the influence of intoxicants and possibly had mental health issues. One suffered from depression, according to the police study.

"The combination of someone with a mental health crisis, substance abuse and weapons increases the chance of violence," said Sgt. Greg Stewart, the bureau's crime analyst.

Yet many of these people with mental illness don't qualify for ongoing treatment, or their alcohol and marijuana use falls below the criminal justice system's radar. Their intoxication reduces their options for treatment at emergency rooms or walk-in clinics, said Stewart.

"If
we want to reduce these instances, maybe we need to reduce the number
of interactions between police and this population," he said.

The bureau is also working with emergency dispatchers to see if they can answer 9-1-1 calls with a 4th category: fire, police, medical or mental health? At the least, dispatchers can provide information on whether the caller has knowledge if the person of concern has any mental health history, alcohol or drug abuse, or access to weapons.

In five of the eight shootings, less-lethal weapons -- often Taser stun guns -- were used, but didn't incapacitate the suspects.

"It doesn't always work. They aren't as effective as you would like," Stewart said.

As a result, the bureau is moving to a Taser gun with a dart that is just over a half-inch long that will allow officers also to shoot from as far as 25 feet away, compared to the current 21-foot distance.

"We hope the increase in this dart length will cause for a better connection, and it will be incapacitating," Training Lieutenant Robert King said.

Further, the bureau is planning on assigning at least two shotgun-propelled Tasers to each of its precincts. They're called X-Range Electronic Projectiles, allowing officers to fire from an extended range of up to 80 feet, King said. One is currently being tested by the Special Emergency Reaction Team.

The bureau also is going to a hotter pepper spray called the Red Sabre, King said.

Chief Mike Reese said the new tools are intended to help reduce the number of fatal officer-involved shootings. He said he and Mayor Sam Adams wanted to move quickly to review the shootings to see what could be done now.

"This has been a tough year for the Police Bureau," the chief said.

View full sizeMaxine Bernstein/The OregonianPortland police Lt. Robert King, of the training division, describes the new non-lethal weapons being tested by police.

The cost of the new Taser cartridges, shotguns and pepper spray totals about $100,000. They're being paid for out of the bureau's general budget , and asset forfeiture money, said Mike Kuykendall, the bureau's director of services.

Crime analyst Stewart cautioned that new tools or training, by themselves, are not going to solve the problem.

He suggested that something has to be done to simply reduce the number of interactions between police and people with mental illness and substance abuse.

"Simply adopting new tactics is not a solution," Stewart said. "It doesn't mean we as police can't do better."